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by BirdSpell



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Lowkey sheith for Sheith Day, M/M, it's less sheithy than i would like, not much else to say
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-11-08 16:29:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11085474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BirdSpell/pseuds/BirdSpell
Summary: Edit: I... completely forgot to write a summary. Oops.Shiro finds himself in an unfamiliar room, but it's not all bad.





	Return

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not dead! Sorry I've been nonexistent for so long. But anyway, enjoy my contribution to the one year anniversary of Josh Keaton singlehandedly naming this ship.

                Shiro doesn’t know where he is. He’s not in his cell, that’s for sure; there’s far too much light and warmth, and he’s lying on something soft. A bed? He’s not in the Garrison either. The blanket covering him is thick and soft, nothing like the thin, scratchy things they have in the med bay, and he isn’t tied down anymore. In other circumstances that might have been comforting, but here he can’t help but worry.

                He sits up as quietly as he can, very carefully folding the blanket back so that it doesn’t fall, or rustle more than absolutely necessary. He’s in an unfamiliar room; the walls are made of rough wood, and everything is covered in a layer of miscellaneous belongings and sand. So he’s in a desert, maybe. He remembers everything in the town near the Garrison used to end up covered in sand after a while, not to mention the mess Keith’s shack ended up in whenever they were away for more than a day or two.

                _Keith._ Shiro might be back on Earth, he thinks. If he is, then he has to find Keith. He has to. If nothing else, Keith might be the only one left who he can count on; besides, he can’t just… not. He’s alive, and possibly safe. He can’t let Keith think that he’s not. It’s that thought that gets him rolling out of bed fully, landing on his feet. The floorboards creak faintly under him.

                “Shiro?” a voice mumbles sleepily from the floor beside him. Shiro could swear his heart attempts to throw itself out of his chest as he stumbles back a pace, whipping around to see who it was that spoke.

                “K-Keith?” Is he imagining things? He must be, because there’s no way Keith could possibly be _here_ , wherever here is. And yet there he is, curled up awkwardly on the floor, rubbing at his eyes as he blinks himself awake. Shiro kneels beside him hesitantly. “Keith, is that… you?”

                “Not sure who else it would be,” Keith grumbles, shaking his head. His hair flops into his face with the movement, and Shiro reaches out to brush it away without thinking. Keith lets out a little purr at the touch and nuzzles into his hand, still not fully awake.

                “Keith,” Shiro says patiently, giving his shoulder a little shake with his free hand. It’s nostalgic, waking him up like this. Keith has never been a morning person. Shiro finds himself wishing for the coffee maker he’d kept in his room at the Garrison.

                Keith blinks twice more, then his eyes go almost comically wide as he snaps to full alert. “Shiro! You’re awake! Are you okay? I mean, the Garrison- And whatever else happened- Where’ve you _been_ , I was worried _sick_ , you _idiot-_ ” He cuts himself off, instead leaning forward to bury his face in Shiro’s shoulder.

                “Sorry,” Shiro says, hesitantly tangling his human hand in Keith’s messy hair. “Keith, where are we?”

                “My place,” Keith says, his voice muffled. “It’s kind of a mess, sorry. If I’d known you were going to show up, I would’ve cleaned up a bit.”

                “Don’t… worry about it,” Shiro assures him. “But… how did we get here? The last thing I remember was the Garrison, and-” A thought strikes him. “…Keith. Did you break into a Garrison base?”

                Keith leans back to offer him a smug grin. “You could say that I did, yeah. I mean, it wasn’t like it was a _big_ base.”

                “Keith!” Shiro covers his eyes with the hand not occupied by Keith’s hair. “You _broke into a base_?! Are you _crazy_?!”

                Keith scowls at him. “What, did you think I’d just _leave_ you? With _them_?” He rolls his eyes. “Of course I rescued you.”

               “I… Right.” Shiro sighs, closing his eyes for a moment. “Thank you for saving me, Keith. I don’t want you to think that I’m not grateful. But… Your scholarship. Your position. If you were seen…”

               “That’s… not really a problem,” Keith says awkwardly. “I mean… since they booted me ages ago…”

               “They what?” How could they have booted Keith? He’s the best pilot the Garrison has ever known, certainly leagues ahead of Shiro. And they just kicked him out? “How could they do that?”

               Keith shoots him a stubborn, slightly embarrassed look. “I broke into the secure files. And punched Iverson in the face.”

               “You- _Keith_! I disappear for – How long has it been? Never mind – a while, and you- Why would you do that?”

               “You were _gone_ , Shiro!” Keith snaps back. “You were _gone_ , and they said you were _dead_ , and they said it was _all your fault_! What, do you think I should’ve stood back and _let them_ say that? Because I _wouldn’t_!” He’s breathing hard, eyes bright with unshed tears. Shiro feels his own anger die in a heartbeat at that look.

                “Keith… I’m sorry.” He barely hesitates before wrapping both arms around Keith’s waist, pulling him against his chest. “I’m so sorry.”

                “It’s not your _fault_ , you idiot,” Keith says. Warm hands touch his shoulders for a moment, then Keith’s arms curl around his neck. “Whatever happened out there, I know it wasn’t your fault. I just- I missed you.”

                “I missed you, too,” Shiro tells him. “I’ll tell you everything that happened, I just need some time-” There’s a loud thud from the other room, and a barely muffled yelp. “What was that?”

                Keith groans, pulling away a little so he can drape himself over Shiro’s legs. “The idiots that _insisted_ on coming with me. Their leader kept saying he was gonna be the one who saved you, and I couldn’t just leave them for the Garrison… So I ended up bringing them with me. Didn’t want to throw them out into the desert.”

                “You let other people come here?” Shiro fakes a surprised gasp. “I’m shocked, baby. Maybe I should disappear more often.”

                Keith smacks his thigh. “Not funny! But yeah, didn’t see any other choice. We can kick them out later, if you like.”

                “If _you_ like, you mean.”

                “Shiro!” Keith snorts softly. “Seriously, though,” he adds. “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

                “You’ve got that right.” Shiro sighs, brushing his fingers through Keith’s hair again. “Not yet, though. I have a lot to process.”

                “That’s fair.” Keith pulls himself upright, leaning forward to press a kiss to Shiro’s cheek. “Take all the time you need. I don’t mind waiting for you.”

                Shiro can’t help the smile that spreads across his face as he pulls Keith in for a proper kiss. “I’ll try not to make you wait too long this time.”

                Together, they stand. Shiro strolls past the cadets just beginning to stir in the next room and out into the desert sunlight. He’s finally back on Earth, back at Keith’s side. They have a lot to do, but they’ll get through it all together.


End file.
